NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Danny Hood, son-in-law of John Force, will take over as crew chief of the PEAK BlueDEF Chevy Camaro to start the 2020 Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season. That's one of two major announcements unveiled by John Force Racing, including Joe Barlam joining Austin Prock's Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Top Fuel dragster as assistant crew chief alongside Mike Green.

Ronnie Thompson, who helped tune Austin Prock’s dragster in 2019, and Tim Fabrisi, who was Force’s car chief in 2019 will assist Hood on Force's Funny Car. Force finished fourth in the 2019 NHRA Funny Car points. Force recorded his 150th career victory and just weeks later his 151st at the sport’s biggest event, the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis for a record-tying fifth time.

President of John Force Racing and reigning three-time Funny Car world champion Robert Hight will seek his fourth world championship in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro with his tandem of crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham. The trio picked up their third world title in 2019 after earning eight No. 1 qualifiers and winning six races, a career high for Hight.

Crew chief David Grubnic and assistant crew chief Mac Savage will continue to tune 2017 Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force’s Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragster. Force wrapped up 2019 third in the points standings after chasing down a second championship until the final race of the season. Force captured wins at the SpringNationals in Houston (her second consecutive at the event) and the Countdown to the Championship race in Las Vegas while securing a career-best eight No. 1 qualifiers and also set both ends of the Top Fuel national records, 3.623-seconds at the Reading event and 338.17 mph at the Las Vegas event. 

Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner Austin Prock will enter his second NHRA season in the driver’s seat of his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster with crew chief Mike Green, a 2019 mid-season hire, and assistant crew-chief Barlam, the newest member of the John Force Racing tuning roster. Prock earned his first career victory with Green at the Northwest Nationals in 2019, joining the list of only 10 previous rookies to win in their first season. Prock also became only the 13th rookie to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship and finished the season eighth in points. 

“We ended the 2019 season in a good spot, anytime your team gets a championship, as a team owner, it’s always good. Prock got his first win, Brittany and I were in the fight and then Robert with Auto Club was just incredible,” said  John Force. “We are going to start 2020 with momentum. The changes we’ve made, they’ll only improve on what we have. It’s not going to be easy, but the teams we have will be willing to put in the work to make great things happen. We’re going after race wins and championships, that’s what we’re always going after. We have the people, the partners and the parts to make it happen.” 

The 2020 season kicks off at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona Feb. 6-9 at Auto Club Raceway.